Food recalls on the rise

Capping the the end of one of the nation's worst quarters for food recalls, the federal government last week shut down Sunland, Inc., the country’s largest processor of organic peanut butter.

By Brad Petrishen/Daily News staff

MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

By Brad Petrishen/Daily News staff

Posted Dec. 2, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 2, 2012 at 2:05 AM

By Brad Petrishen/Daily News staff

Posted Dec. 2, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 2, 2012 at 2:05 AM

» Social News

Capping the the end of one of the nation's worst quarters for food recalls, the federal government last week shut down Sunland, Inc., the country’s largest processor of organic peanut butter.

And although some local shoppers may have noticed a spike in recalls at retailers like Trader Joe's and Wegmans, experts say the increased recalls might have the reverse effect when it comes to grabbing people's attention.

"The sheer number of recalls, particularly in recent months, could overwhelm consumers who are inundated with recall notices," said Mike Rozembajgier vice president of recalls for Stericycle ExpertRECALL, an Indianapolis firm that handles recalls for companies like Wendy’s and General Electric.

According to Stericycle research, the FDA documented 414 food recalls in the third quarter of 2012, the most in the last two years.

More than 55 percent of those recalls were considered for products putting people at high risk — a fact Rozembajgier said is dangerous given the growing number of recalls.

"During the third quarter we saw more than four food recalls on average each and every day," he said. Accordingly, the volume of recalls can lead many to determine that the problems can’t be too serious — something he calls "recall fatigue.

"It’s (very) alarming to think about the impact on consumers if this trend continues, considering the holiday season is here and consumers are more likely to be distracted from heeding recall notices," Rozembajgier said.

Shoppers of Wegmans might have noticed a spate of recalls, as 13 products — including several of its own brand — have been recalled since October.

The popular grocer has recalled about 25 products in the last year. Whole Foods has recalled more than 30.

A sampling of recent recalls at Wegmans and Whole Foods shows several high-risk recalls, from possible salmonella contamination to mislabeling of soups with potentially fatal consequences.

Wegmans spokeswoman Jeanne Colleluori said the company actually isn’t too far ahead of last year’s numbers in terms of recalls.

"We take every recall seriously, whether it’s a Wegmans brand or a national brand," she said.

By law, recalls must be initiated by the entity that made the product, which in most cases is not the store in which it is sold. As a result, many recalled products — like a recent bad batch of carrot chips, for instance — was recalled at both Wegmans and Whole Foods.

"It’s an unfortunate part of our business," said Colleluori, who assured customers that the company conducts investigations of each recall before it puts the same types of product back on the shelves.

The company in October recalled Wegmans Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix after it was discovered it could contain an allergen (milk) not contained on the label.

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It visited its manufacturing facility, Colleluori said, and had conversations with management to determine what had happened.

"At this point, what we expect from them is they will be working on new policies and procedures to keep this from happening again," she said.

Rozembajgier said it’s difficult to pinpoint any particular cause behind the recent surge of recalls.

"It could in part be due to general contamination issues, a lack of quality control measures, or even a byproduct of the complexity of the food supply chain," he said, in which ingredients used in many different products are recalled.

FDA spokeswoman Patricia El-Hinnawy said the government does not comment on trends in recalls.

Rozembajgier said supermarkets in general are pretty good at getting recall notices out to consumers. Both Wegmans and Whole Foods have sections of their websites devoted to recalls featuring archives of recalls dating back many months.

Other supermarkets such as Hannaford have somewhat less user-friendly recall sections, while Trader Joe’s does not have a specific section of its website dedicated to providing recall information.

Trader Joe’s did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Supermarkets are not required to post notices of voluntary recalls, El-Hinnawy said.

"We want our customers to trust us," Colleluori said of her company’s strategy of getting the word out quickly.

Wegmans in 2007 began alerting customers of recalls via its shopper’s club card.

The automated system can alert customers who bought a product that it has been recalled, she said, and has been immensely helpful in reaching people who otherwise might not have known.

Rozembajgier said he hopes the recent increase in recalls will lead to both increased consumer awareness and government action.

"We expect FDA to continue to flex its muscles," he said. "Sunland’s suspension also should alert other food and beverage manufacturers, as well as retailers selling private label, that the federal government is now less patient with repeat violators of food safety regulations."

Brad Petrishen can be reached at 508-490-7463 or bpetrishen@wickedlocal.com. For news throughout the day, follow him at twitter.com/Brad_Petrishen.